2025 Patch Profile: Dan Carvalho, Avon Town Council

AVON, CT — Avon Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Dan Carvalho is running for the Avon Town Council as a Republican.

The following is Dan Carvalho's questionnaire sent to Patch:

Candidate's Name: Dan Carvalho

What office are you seeking? Town Council

What town do you live in? Avon

Campaign Website: https://avonctrtc.org

Party Affiliation: Republican

Occupation: President/CEO of a construction company

Family: I have a wonderful wife, Ruth, of 25 years, and 3 wonderful children, DJ, Isabella, and Gabriel, ranging from ages 16 to 23. All three of my kids are my pride and joy and were all raised in Avon.
My wife works as a rehabilitation counselor for young adults and students.

My son DJ works in the family business. He wears a number of hats in my company; most recently is training for estimating projects for our company.

My daughter Isabella is a dance instructor and competes professionally all over New England. Isabella has been dancing since she was a little girl.

My youngest, Gabriel, is finishing high school and is excelling in soccer. Soccer is his passion as well as mine.

We are a very close-knit family, and my biggest joy is to have us all together having dinner at the table.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Previous public office, appointive or elective: I was appointed to the Clean Air Act Commission for 1 year in Avon, and I am now on the wetlands commission in Avon.

Why are you seeking this office?

In the past few years, I've seen some irresponsible decision-making in the town of Avon. I feel my experience running my companies for the last 35 years would bring value to Avon through my appointment to the Town Council. I would strive to include the voices of the residents and allow them to be a part of decisions that impact the community.

I would like to bring common sense back to our local government.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it: I believe there is more than one pressing issue for our constituents.

However, if there is one leading issue I would have to put at the front of the line, I would have to say TAXES!! Spending and taxes go together like hand and glove. Running a town or state is very similar to running a business or even our personal lives. We all need a budget. The 3 things that I have always run my business as a model are:

1) Wants - what do we want that would enhance the town?
2) Needs - what do we need to keep the town functioning?
3) Must-haves - what are essential and mandatory things to keep a town safe and operational?

If we ran our town with these models, we would be able to be efficient, stay within budget, and not have to burden the taxpayer with constant increases while living within our means. Often, we make decisions that simply put cost burdens on the taxpayers, and in some cases, are pushed down to the next generation. We need to stop doing this and become more frugal with other people's money.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I'm not sure what the other candidates running for the post are seeking; I can only judge by their previous actions and results. I believe the difference stands in my record of running my businesses. I started my first business when I was 21 and had to learn things hands-on and the hard way. I built my companies into small, successful companies. My construction company is doing 6-10 million dollars in volume per year. I employ an average of 30 men and women.

I own a property management company that manages over a million dollars of commercial properties. I have extensive experience in real estate. I've built some of the most complex projects in the state of CT on time and within budget. I feel this would be the difference that sets me apart from other candidates.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

1) Keeping our town's heritage, that's what drew us to Avon. I believe a lot of town residents were drawn to Avon for the small-town feel, but still having all the amenities of a big city.

2) Schools...I believe we should keep our children safe. We should preserve the innocence of our young children. We should prepare them to face the challenges of the future without exposing them to adult content.

3) Safety... We should support our local law enforcement and provide them with all the tools they need to keep our community safe.

Support our volunteer fire department and recruit young people to continue the good work that the men and women of our volunteer fire department do every day.

4) Youth Sports...I'm a big advocate for youth sports. I believe if a child gets involved with sports at a young age, it instills teamwork, discipline, and competitiveness. I believe these attributes build strong individuals and someday great leaders.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence that you can handle this job?

Built 3 construction companies. Built a commercial property management company. Built a strong, resilient family.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

The president and CEO of Geis Const. Company, Fred Geis, who runs a hundred-million-dollar company and builds commercial projects all across the United States, 20 years ago said to me, " I break the world into 2 kinds of people, People that make things happen and people that things happen to." I've lived by that saying ever since.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I would like the residents of Avon to know that I've lived in Avon since 2008 and I intend to retire and grow old here. I would like for the town to continue to strive and continue to grow positively.

All decisions that I would make would always have the community's best interest at heart. I would want all residents to feel that their voice will always be heard and considered by me as a town council member.

I would respectfully ask for your trust and your vote for Town Council.